Senate Passes Jobs Bill, Would Delay Medicare Payments Cuts to Physicians and Extend COBRA Benefit Subsidy

Tags: COBRA extension | jobs bill | Medicare physician payment cut | Senate

The Senate has voted to pass the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act of 2010 (HR 4213), which includes language that would delay the 21 percent Medicare payment cut to physicians until Sept. 30 and would extend through Dec. 31 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's COBRA benefit subsidy, according to a report by the AHA News Now.

The bill would also extend for six months the temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for individual states and ensure physicians in hospital-owned outpatient facilities qualify for health information technology incentives included in the ARRA, according to the report.

The bill will now move to the House for consideration.

Read AHA News Now's report on the jobs bill.

© Copyright ASC COMMUNICATIONS 2011. Interested in LINKING to or REPRINTING this content? View our policies by clicking here.